The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1887-11-30
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Notes on the Lesson for Decem-
Der 4--"Parable Of the
Sower."

lhe lesson Tor the above date may be found
in the first nine verses OF the thirteenth chap
ter of Matthew. Time. A ID. 90 Place.
shore of the Sci of Galllee.
SPECIAL MENTION.
Shore Of GGtitee.-A strip of level sandy
beach surrounds the lake, from which the
hills ascend, usually in gentle grassy slopes,
broken by abrupt precipitous cliffs, the bright
oleander and other plants often forming .
pleasant fringe along the shore. On the west
ern side. an abundant supply of springs give
birth to verdure and ferlnty not found on
the eastern. (Blaikie.) At the north end OF
the lake OF Gennesaret there are small creeks,
or inlets, where the snip could ride III safety
only few feet from the shore, and where tho
multitudes, seated on botn sides and before
the boat, could listen without distraction or
fatigue. AS If on purpose TO furnish seats,
the shores on both sides of these narrow inlets
are pied up with smooth bundles of basalt.
tlhomson)
Parallels of Christ-Q) Meaning Liter
ally, ito place by" j. O., To place one thing by
another, for explanation. The material Is
placed by the moral or spiritual to illustrate
or explain. "Ihe parable ID distinct from the
Jd6te rs 1t moves In the spiritual world; from
The proVerb, as it is more fully developed;
from the aUegory as it compares one thing
tgW another, not transfers one to another.
Crencl, abridged) (2 Number. Trench
and Arnot each give thirty in their Notes.
Others include three more: "The strong man
Matt. y: 4S,; and 'aThe Good shepherd"
John 10: ~ Other figurative expressions
might be included OF the number thirty
three Matthew gives sixteen, Mark five, Luke
twenty-one and John one: "The Good Shop
herd" While some must BIO included and
others excluded see not few lying am
biguous on the border. (Arnot) .C9 We
may discern an arrangement in the
parallels as they fell from ,ChrisHs
lips. First, those relating to the d.
v'ne Kingdom; e. g.,, the wonderful group
in Matt IL. Second, later in Christs ministry
those drawn from the life Of men, rather than
from nature; e. e., SThe two debtors,n" The
good Samaritan, "The prodigal son." @The
unjust judge" etc. Third, near the close of
feast aThe tenn taiens marriage ets
lsee Smiths Bib Dict) az Interpretation.
Christ has given explanations of twO parallels,
THE sower" and "Ihe tares, and these should
ever be our guide in explaining and applying.
A sympathetic Christian heart will lind the
true meaning more easily than the acutest in
tellect Try to find the chief teaching Of the
parable, but do not expect doctrine in every
j0t and title @The parallels of the kingdom
are picture gallery, and we walk up and
down in it, admiring each picture. Let us.
not forget these are heavenly pictures, heav-
emily things exposed to view. An interpreter
walks by our side, and If we look Alright rich
~
great" (Drascke.)
CONNECTING LINK
In point OF time this lesson should come
much earlier in the quarter, just before the
shilling of the tempest Matt, s: 1920 But
as in many other cases, Matthew allows tho
subject-matter to control the narrative; and,
therefore, we have these parallels gathered
up in one chapter. Find parallel accounts IN
Mark 4: l 20; Luke s: Alb Read, also
verses Is % of this chapter, the Scripture ex'
nnaifi nn nf thn
TOPIC AND OUTLINE.
/. Lessons TO Christian WOrkerS. This par
able may be studied with peclal profit by all
who are engaged in any way in spiritual seed
sowing; the nature of the W DIRK, It's difficult
ties and discouragements, its rewards and
successes arc vividly portrayed. AS to the
work itself, ~ it 10 personal ("the sower"),
81 1T demands effort and sacrifice ("went
out), (3) 1t presupposes equipment and pro
vision ("to sow, az it requires faith. As 20
the difficulties and dscouragements, they are
found Q) in the worker himself, (2) in the di-
rect opposition of Satan ("Satan cometh i'm
mediately"), (3) in the character of those who
hear the truth. How unpromising and
unproductive the soil in many cases! Them
as TO the success attained, we are taught H.
that actual outward result does not follow the
sowing in every case ("Some fell by the way
side" etc. C) that some success will attend
the labor of every faithful sower of the see
("other fell on good ground and did yield,
etc }, and G) that results will vary in degree
in different cases thirty, sixty, and hundred
fold)
=. Various rags Of hearing the pord. But
the parable has to do mainly with descrip-
ton Of the different kinds of soil into which
the seed Is cast; or, stripping off the figure,
the different ways in which the truth is re-
celved by man. The same truth comes to all,
but how various are the spirit and attitude OF
man toward it
There is for example C) an unyieding i'm.
penitence displayed by some. These are the
"wayside" hearers, representing the hardened
unbeliever The truth no more enters the
mind to any permanent good than the seed
sinks into the road upon which 1t may chance
TO fall.
There is again, (2) a shallow susceptibility
manifested by come. These are the STONY
ground" hearers, type OF those who, with
emotional nature predominating, come easily
under the power of truth, are swayed almost
at will, but fail to have the truth take hold OF
the heart. Their seeming change of life Is
mere surface goodishness, with no power or
permanence because no heart-root They
are apt TO be awakened, quickened into an
emotional religiosity in times Of revival but
speedily relapse into coldness.
Once more (3) a worldly engrossment char
acteriZes some. These are the "thorny
ground hearers describing that large class
who are deeply moved and seem thoroughly
converted; but the world gradually crowds in,
displacing their so-called religion. When the
fierce battle comes between religion and the
world the world wins. These are they who
are chained by some besetting sin and at last
ruined by it.
Then lastly (4) there is fruitful obedience
exhibited by some who hear. This is repre-
scented by the good ground which received the
seed and produced the harvest So the seed
OF the word must be sown in the heart, take
deep root and bring forth fruit In Scripture
we are warned against the dull car, the Itch
ing ear, the heavy ear the uncrcumcised ear;
and enjoned to have the open and obedient
ear. In the cleansing of the leper the holy oil
was TO be put on the tip OF the right ear,
showing the need of this organ being healed
and restored in order to the true hearing.
Christ healing the deaf was symbolic of that
WORK which the Holy Spirit must do in the
heart in order to the true hearing. 1t
is the heart that must hear. If the
heart be shut to the divine call, not
the varied voices or nature, the loud thunders
of Judgment not the sweet promises of the
Saviour, not the mighty whisper of the Spirit
can enter the being and influence the life.
Aud the proof that one has heard Alright is
found in the life The hearing is nothing, and
worse than nothing, unless it il followed by
the doing. 1t is important not only that one
hear the truth on Sunday, but that he live the
truth on Monday Hearing and obedience
are mutually helpful. Hearing is necessary
to obedience. and obedience quickens and
strengthens the hearing. To which class OF
hearers do you belong? Are YOU the careless
and unmoved nearer, the shallow-hearted and